Document text
Botts getting higher education MT file photo Tami Botts, who won a state championship for Ashland, recently pulled off a major upset. Former Grizzly plays tennis in nation's toughest conference By RANDY HAMMERICKSEN Former Ashland High state champion Tami Botts believes she's playing major-college women's tennis in the toughest conference in the nation. She competes for Louisiana State in the Southeastern Conference, which has 10 of its 11 teams ranked among the top 60 Division I teams in the nation. Botts, 19, a sophomore singles and doubles player for 28th-ranked Tigers, has taken her lumps and suffered her share of frustrations at such a high level of play. "It's been kind of tough to adjust, but things are starting to work out better," says Botts, who has a 14-14 record in singles for the Tigers and a 5-1 doubles record with partner Lauren Haddox. Botts recently posted the biggest victory of her college career when she upset 11th-ranked Eali Camino of Florida, 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 in No. 3 singles during an SEC dual match. "That win is the highlight of what I've done here at LSU in two years," says Botts. "I fought hard to come back and get that win. It's lifted up my confidence and given me hope for the rest of the season." Botts hopes the Tigers will again reach the NCAA tournament this spring. LSU advanced to the second round of nationals in 1999, losing to Pepperdine. It beat Ohio State in the opening round. Botts, who is not rated among the top 60 singles players in the country, hopes to reach that plateau by next year as a junior. "I knew it was going to be tough competition here, and it would be hard to get a ranking," says Botts. "I probably came here expecting more than I should have as far as what I could do. "It's been another learning year, but I'm seeing definite improvement, which is positive." Botts recently scored another significant singles win when she defeated a Kentucky player at No. 3 singles. LSU defeated No. 23 Kentucky in the team dual match. "I can see a big difference in Tami the last two months," says LSU coach Tony Minnis. "She had a huge win over the girl from Florida and has played better and better. "She hits the ball real hard, and she's volleying a lot better than when she got here. I think she was actually a little shellshocked when she arrived here last year over the tough competition she was facing right away." Minnis had hoped to break Botts in more slowly, but attrition in the ranks forced her into action. "She learned a lot," he says, "and now the improvement is starting to show. "She has great hands, and she's getting quicker. I think she could really take off next year for us at the beginning of her junior year." The competitive nature of major-college tennis required Botts to make an adjustment in her personality, she says. "It's so cutthroat here," she says. "Everything is about winning and doing what you have to do to win. I had dealt with some of that mentality playing in national junior tournaments. But it wasn't this bad." Botts says she concentrates on being a power player from the baseline, choosing to stay back and rip forehand and two-handed backhand strokes past her opponents. "She needs to work on coming to the net more," says Minnis. "That will help her to be more effective." Playing professional tennis continues to be Botts' ultimate goal. "When I came here, I knew this was the toughest women's tennis conference in the country," says Botts. "I figured it would be the right training ground for me to improve. "I still have a long way to go, but I figure if I can have success in this conference, it should give me a chance to play on the pro tour, if I keep working and improving." The Tigers' strenuous conditioning program has put her in "the best shape of my life," says Botts, which helps her compete in the heat and humidity of the South. "You have to be in top shape to get through the long matches," she says. "You have to learn how to grind it out on the court." She continues to learn as she goes. Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA